Author:

Keywords:

Children, Children's rights, Digital advertising

Abstract:

The AdLit Project investigated ways to empower children and youth to cope with advertising in today’s new media environment, so that they can grow up to be critical, informed consumers making their own conscious choices. It aimed to give an overview of the current level of advertising literacy in children and teenagers, as well as to map methods to increase their level of advertising literacy for new forms of advertising. Many different stakeholders and researchers from a variety of fields were involved in the AdLit project. The stakeholders ranged from policy makers, educational partners and social actors to members of the advertising- and media industry. The interdisciplinary team of researchers was composed of members from the universities of Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels and Leuven, with expertise in psychology, marketing, pedagogy, communication science and law. The coordination of the project was led by the CEPEC research group of Ghent University. The legal research conducted within the frame of the project consisted of a mapping and evaluation of the current regulatory framework (including legislation and alternative regulatory instruments) on commercial communication aimed at children. This whitepaper summarises key gaps in existing regulation and formulates concrete recommendations for a future-proof regulatory framework on commercial communication aimed at children. While it is primarily aimed at regulators and policymakers, it may also provide insights for other parties who are looking to expand their understanding of advertising regulation as well as for the broader debate on the use of alternative regulatory instruments for the protection and empowerment of children in the digital environment. For more specific information about the AdLit valorisation goals and our recommendations for children, parents, researchers and educational staff, visit www.reclamewijs.be.